Phil Reed steps aside as CEO of Steve Jackson Games, Meredith Placko steps in

I can’t imagine Steve Jackson Games without Phil Reed at the helm. If the news of Meredith Placko taking over as CEO at the games company had come out on April 1st, not April 3rd, I’d be suspicious.

Yet, it’s understandable. Phil has been running the company for nearly a decade and doing great things with Kickstarter simultaneously. Phil is staying in SJ; he’s still the Art Director and on the Board of Directors but is reducing his hours and spending more time on personal projects.

Meanwhile, Meredith, a new name to me, looks to be a great hire. Placko is the boss at Turbo Dork, a company that sells metallic paints and has grown incredibly since a 2018 launch on Etsy.

In a statement to fans, Meredith said;

My excitement at joining the team at Steve Jackson Games is something I cannot express in words. Mostly dinosaur-esque screeching noises. I hope to earn your trust in the months going forward, as we keep on making the games everyone loves.”

I feel a kinship reading that Meredith’s first D&D taste came via telnet connected via a modem. I wonder if we’ve MUS*H or MUDded on the same sites. From D&D, Meredith moved to GURPS, and that is a Steve Jackson game.

Steve himself addresses how he feels about the change, saying;

Now, how do I, personally, feel about this? I’m over the moon! We get to keep Phil’s experience and skills where they count the most . . . and, I hope, quit burning my friend out. And we get Meredith’s energy and talents. Huge win.